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Student-Athlete Profile: Sam McCalpin '20

Sam McCalpin (center)
Sam McCalpin (center)

Name: Sam McCalpin
Hometown: Louisville, Ky.
High School: Trinity
Sports: Men's Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field
Activities/Clubs/Committees: Chemistry Tutor

Why did you choose Haverford?
Haverford was the last school I visited. I knew early on that I wanted a smaller environment but to be honest the small liberal arts colleges mostly blended together in my head. It's hard for me to articulate a tangible thing about Haverford that stood out. But I knew after my tour and after I had been in contact with Tom (my coach) that my decision wasn't so difficult anymore. Maybe it was the Honor Code or the location or watching people around campus. Whatever it was, I just felt more comfortable and optimistic about choosing Haverford than any other school.

What is your favorite team experience?
My favorite team experiences are the little ones. I like spending way too much time at the Goat Table every night or doing the rounds to gather everyone on a Saturday night or taking road trips to see just a couple guys race. The big events are great in the moment but they don't mean as much to me as the smaller things that make the team what it is.

Why did you choose to play a sport in college?
I had absolutely no intention to continue running in college until the fall of my senior year of high school. But that season I was healthy and socially a lot more comfortable which I think translated into enjoying running again. So I started filling out recruitment forms for the schools I was looking at, just to keep my options open. I still prioritized an academic fit over an athletic one, but I decided that if I had the opportunity to run at the school I chose I would. I was already mostly set on Haverford, but Tom responded to my filling out the form with a very nice handwritten letter. With that I knew that I wanted to run here and that there would be a very welcoming community waiting. In retrospect, I like to joke that I wouldn't have friends if I didn't have the team. That's not entirely true but it's not entirely untrue either. At the very least the team certainly made it a lot easier.

What does being a student-athlete mean to you?
Handling athletic obligations on top of academic ones is a struggle to be sure. But for me it also makes my life a lot easier. It forces a routine and good habits that I know I wouldn't have otherwise. In my experience, physical fitness also has a measurable effect on my mental clarity and state of mind. I wouldn't be nearly as academically successful or as mentally stable as I am now without running.

What advice would you give a high school student considering Haverford?
It's very difficult to distinguish between schools based on the statistics and the tours and the programs alone. I would encourage any prospective students to visit campus and talk with students or faculty to get a feel for the social environment as well as the academic. If able, an overnight stay with a current student will give a much more authentic presentation of a school than a canned tour spiel.